7 Important Things Home Sellers Often Forget to Do

Selling your home requires a lot of time and effort, and often it seems like the to-do list gets longer instead of shorter: you have to phone a real estate agent, do touch-ups, get this fixed, get that repaired… no wonder you sometimes forget to do certain things!

Sometimes, in the rush to sell their home, home sellers don’t always identify some important aspects regarding the entire preparation & marketing!

By going over these simple points, you can correct yourself along the way, and get your house sold in no time, while keeping your wits about you:

#1 — Check their real estate agent’s references

An incompetent agent might cost you a lot of time and money so it would be wise to check out their references.

Ask your friends and families for recommendations. When speaking to them, ask questions regarding the confidence they had in their agent, if she had good knowledge of the market and whether they could negotiate well.

Check with the agency whether or not the agent is licensed with no complaints filed against them. They should be more than happy to provide you with the paperwork that you need.

#2 — Clean everything inside out

Buyers are very likely going to poke around in your closets and cupboards because storage is a huge selling point. Make sure that these are all neat and tidy.

Don’t just sweep the crumbs into the corner; your job isn’t done until your buyer can pretty much eat off of the floor.

#3 — Account for improvements and issues

If you have owned the home for a while, it would be a good idea to make a list of all the things that you have fixed or solved whilst you lived there. This could include fixing flooded basements, chimney fires and water damage.

Disclose this information to the buyer, so that you don’t have any inconvenient legal issues on your hands down the line. Letting buyers know any recent type of repairs that you have done will give them peace of mind knowing that they won’t have to spend money upgrading it in the near term.

#4 — Clarify which items are not included

You don’t want the buyer to fall in love with the curtains if they’re not for sale, so please be clear about what is included in the price.

Anything bolted to the wall is, by law, regarded as part of the house, so if you want to take that chandelier, you need to be specific about it and label it before the house goes on sale.

And yes, the pool equipment, as well as bar stools are considered to stay as well!

#5 — Make sure the doorbell rings

Attention to detail is invaluable and you must make sure that the small things around your house works.

People who see that your doorbell isn’t in working order will assume that you don’t care enough to fix it, will ask which other (less) urgent items need attention, and will eventually be reluctant to buy from you.

#6 — Google their own address

Nearly all buyers search for their next home online and many home sellers do not always realize this, so you should be aware of what your home listing looks like to the public. Professional photos should be a non-negotiable!

Similarly, Google Maps might not always include the renovations that you have recently done to your house – having a quick look at Google will give you the good idea of what impression your buyers will have of your home.

#7 — Insist on social media marketing

You know what they say these days: if it’s not on social media, it’s not official, so:

• Your beautiful home should be properly staged.
• The agent’s social media platforms should give you great exposure.
• Optionally, video tours and photo galleries of the house can be promoted via Facebook and Twitter.
• Make sure that your home has an online presence via the real estate agency’s website.
• It should also be promoted on third-party listing portal websites that give more information regarding (open) houses.

First impressions make the difference and buyers want to invest in a house that is well taken care of.

About the author: The above article “10 Things Successful Real Estate Agents Never Do” was written by Xavier De Buck, your top-producing Johannesburg real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty. Xavier has been nationally recognized and awarded for providing service excellence, exceptional property sales, whilst exhibiting the highest level of professionalism. With over 17 years combined experience as a real estate agent, real estate investor and landlord, if you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Johannesburg, Xavier would love to share his property knowledge and expertise.

Make sure to connect with him via these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.

© 2015-2020, Xavier De Buck. All Rights Reserved.

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